'Shoe Show' puts its best foot forward

Student Sweena Mangal's displayed a ceramic shoe in the foreground and the shoe it was modeled after behind it. She told a tale where she was having a terrible day in school. Upon donning these colorful shoes felt much better Mangal wrote. She told of the shoes feeling like they had "magic" in them.H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Sweena Mangal is a shoe guardian. Looking over the hundreds of swarming students gathered in the quad of Trabuco Hills High Schools, the sophomore's duty is to make sure no one disturbs her plaid wedge sandals perched atop the grass patch in the center of the quad. Dozens of shoe guardians like Mangal can be seen standing near their work, smiling and explaining the labors of their craftsmanship to passersby.

Trabuco Hills High School has had an annual one-day-long Shoe Show for as long as anyone can remember and though you wouldn't be able to tell from the naked eye, the event is actually an art display of ceramic shoes created by Jacque Fait's first-year ceramics students.

When Fait became the ceramics teacher 13 years ago, she wanted to have the project be mandatory for all her students so they could experience the thrill of seeing their hard work on display. In theory, Fait said, the project is simple: pick a shoe and create a ceramic one to match it. From there, however is where the task gets tricky.

After months of clay molding, painting, glazing and firing, the final projects are put on display for the entire school to see, accompanied by a prop and a fictional story about the shoes.

"It's a complex project where they have to spend a lot of time and effort getting things just right," said Fait. " Some of these kids have done a fantastic job to where it's hard to tell the difference between the ceramic shoe and the real one."

Fait's goal for the Shoe Show is not only to challenge her more than 100 students but to also bring together the school community.

"This is like the crescendo of the year for them. For a beginning kid, they've come from knowing absolutely nothing about clay to doing such a great project," said Fait.

"It supports the school as a community sort of outreach. Sometimes the parents will come and get so excited by the work their kid has done."

Sweena Mangal said she worked on her ceramic wedge shoe for weeks and even took it home over spring break so she would have enough time to get the colors and pattern just right.

"I didn't realize it was going to be that difficult but once (Mrs. Fait) explained to me how much work was going to go into to it I knew it was going to be a challenge, " said Mangal. "I'm pretty proud actually. Honestly, I don't even know how I did it."

Freshamn Nelson Cortes said his project was ambitious as well, creating a sneaker to match the worn gray one he chose.

"It looked pretty easy to me but it was actually a really hard process," Cortes said. "It feels pretty good, I didn't think I was going to get it done so I'm happy with the way it turned out."

Though some students were not completely satisfied with the finished result of their projects, many said the process and what they learned in their ceramics class made it worth the while.

"It definitely wasn't easy because you have to make patterns the same exact as the regular shoe and you have to match the same exact length and width and everything," said senior LexxyAyoub. "It was hard but I think it was a fun class and I learned a lot. "

Fait said this year's show, like the previous years, was a success because of the number of students who participated and those who came by to view the work and support their classmates.

If there were one thing she hopes students, viewing or participating, gained out of the event it would be the importance of art.

"(Trabuco Hills High School) is all about the arts and any way we can promote it," said Fait. "I think everybody, no matter how old you are should take art. Just surprise yourself, especially with clay, because it's very a therapeutic experience.

Student Sweena Mangal's displayed a ceramic shoe in the foreground and the shoe it was modeled after behind it. She told a tale where she was having a terrible day in school. Upon donning these colorful shoes felt much better Mangal wrote. She told of the shoes feeling like they had "magic" in them. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A student walks past many of the storyboards and ceramic shoe creations produced by first year ceramic arts students at Trabuco Hills High. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jillian Hewitt declared that many women dream of wonderful clothes and shoes. She says this design was featured in Chanel's 2008 Fall show in Paris. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Eleventh graders Isaiah Bribiesca, Siena Thompson and Abbey Markowitz, from left, look at Thompson's brother's ceramic shoes at the Trabuco Hills High's Ceramic Shoe Show. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
First year ceramic arts students created art, wrote stories and crafted ceramic shoes for Trabuco Hills High's Ceramic Shoe Show event that was held on May 9. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lindsay Mack was visiting relatives in New York and got a chance to browse stores in the city. Her 1-year-old cousin ended the shopping day teething on her tiny baby shoes and a little toy bunny. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Ninth graders Brooke Josenhans, at left, and Savannah Goode look at their ceramic shoe entries on display at Trabuco Hills High's Ceramic Shoe Show event held on May 9. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Savannah Goode and Brooke Josenhans' storyboards and ceramic shoes sit side-by-side at Trabuco Hills High's Ceramic Shoe Show event held on May 9. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Trabuco Hills High students Keegan Hill, Dara Hashemi, Jonathan Hansen and Dylan Lagestee, from left, get a kick out of the ceramic shoe entries at the Shoe Show event held on May 9. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jenna Senger told a story about when she was 7 years old she got her very first rain boots. She left her home and came back drenched but the rain boots kept her feet perfectly dry, she said. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Trabuco Hills High students Paulina Aguiar, at left, and Karen Martinez look over ceramic shoe show entries on May 9. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
At one time student Jacqueline Martinez was very passionate about these flower shoes. She wanted them so badly, she wrote. The Trabuco Hills High's Ceramic Shoe Show event was held on May 9. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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